MUNI kid

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan huddle together at the front of the K train near their home San Francisco, Calif.

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan huddle together at the front of the K train near their home San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 2 of 11

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan walk to catch the MUNI train near their home San Francisco, Calif.

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan walk to catch the MUNI train near their home San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 3 of 11

Excited to rid the MUNI, Ben Easter, 4, holds his grandmother's Clipper card at home in San Francisco, Calif.

Excited to rid the MUNI, Ben Easter, 4, holds his grandmother's Clipper card at home in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 4 of 11

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan have created a bond while riding MUNI around San Francisco together.

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan have created a bond while riding MUNI around San Francisco together.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 5 of 11

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan wait as the K train pulls in front of them on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, Calif.

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan wait as the K train pulls in front of them on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 6 of 11

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan investigate the end of the MUNI line at Balboa Park near their home San Francisco, Calif.

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan investigate the end of the MUNI line at Balboa Park near their home San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 7 of 11

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan sit close on the MUNI train in San Francisco.

Ben Easter, 4, and his grandmother Maria Kwan sit close on the MUNI train in San Francisco.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 8 of 11

Ben Easter, 4, proudly holds on to a transfer ticket he received from one of his favorite MUNI drivers, Thomas Booker.

Ben Easter, 4, proudly holds on to a transfer ticket he received from one of his favorite MUNI drivers, Thomas Booker.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 9 of 11

Ben Easter, 4, pulls the wire letting the MUNI driver know where his stop is in San Francisco, Calif.

Ben Easter, 4, pulls the wire letting the MUNI driver know where his stop is in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 10 of 11

After spending the morning on the MUNI train with his grandmother, Ben Easter, 4, plays with his toy train set at home in San Francisco.

After spending the morning on the MUNI train with his grandmother, Ben Easter, 4, plays with his toy train set at home in San Francisco.

Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Image 11 of 11

MUNI kid

1 / 11

Back to Gallery

A recent Friday 10:30 a.m.: Ben Easter seems like a typical 4-year-old. He has boundless energy and has trouble sitting still on the couch. His mother has to prod him to put on his shoes as he prepares to leave the house for a morning outing with Grandma.

But when Ben – headed for the K train on Ocean Avenue bound for Balboa Park – tugs Grandma down the sidewalk with one hand while clutching a Clipper card in the other, you realize his excitement for the city’s public transit system far exceeds that of most riders.

“I knew he was a fan when we woke up one morning and he was basically calling out the schedule. ‘L! L in 10 minutes!’ – at the age of 2,” said his mother, Anne Kwan.

Ben has been riding Muni trains and buses all over town with his grandmother, Maria Kwan, 68, since the day he was old enough to walk. They’ve taken the N-Judah to go to the pastry shops on Irving, or the L-Taraval to the zoo and back – sometimes not even getting off to see the animals. The Muni is the real attraction.

“It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey,” says Anne Kwan. “He could ride around on the Muni for hours and Grandma would be fine with that.”

Ben and Grandma rode Muni every weekday until he was 3 and preschool cut down their riding time. But on this day, preschool was out – so Ben was excited at the chance to hit the rails with Grandma again.

When Ben got on the K train to Balboa Park and saw it was driven by his favorite conductor, Thomas Booker, his eyes lit up. He leaned into Grandma as they sat, and pointed out objects of transport interest, like a curving tunnel up ahead.

Before long, Booker turned the train around and headed down Ocean Avenue. When Grandma and Ben got off near home, they waved. Booker waved back. It was another perfect ride.